DAY TRIPPING WITH THE GOVERNOR

By Celia Cohen
Grapevine Political Writer

"I've never been here," the governor said.

Jack Markell was standing on the evocative grounds of
the John Dickinson Plantation on the outskirts of Dover
Air Force Base, ready to be shown around the state-owned
estate like any other summer tourist.

Here it was, the third week in August, no better time
to take in some of the historic sites of Delaware, so
the governor was.

Markell also made his way to the Old Court House in
New Castle, the Old State House on The Green in Dover,
and Fort Delaware on Pea Patch Island in the Delaware
River. If this was Wednesday, it must be John
Dickinson's place.

It was like day tripping, except Markell was fitting
his tours into his executive schedule, so it was more
like hour tripping. The blessings of a small state.

Some stops involved multi-tasking. Markell makes it a
practice to visit all of the state agencies, and nothing
prevents him from timing it to a mellowing sunny day. He
also signed legislation into law at the Old State House,
a favorite.

"I can practically give a tour of the Old State
House," Markell said.

The John Dickinson property was a treat. Not only was
it Markell's first visit there, but Dickinson was a
fellow governor, although governors back then were
called presidents. Besides, the two governors are from
the same party, sort of. Markell is a Democrat, and
Dickinson was a Democrat-Republican, a member of the
Jeffersonian party that was the forerunner of the
Democrats.

In those early days of the Republic, when the
governing was being made up as it went along, Dickinson
was also elected the governor of Pennsylvania while he
was the governor of Delaware, an anomaly arising from
his dual residencies. He actually held both offices for
a time before giving up the one in Delaware.

That would top Markell. The most he can show for
extra-state credentials is his posts in gubernatorial
networks, as the past chair of the Democratic Governors
Association and vice chair of the National Governors
Association.

Dickinson, who lived from 1732 to 1808, is celebrated
as one of the five Delawareans to sign the Constitution
at the convention in Philadelphia in 1787. He also
attended the Continental Congress that adopted the
Declaration of Independence as a Pennsylvania delegate
but did not sign, out of concern that separation was
coming prematurely. He joined the militia, though.

Dickinson had 37 slaves but freed them all in 1786.
They were paid wages afterwards.

Markell toured the grounds with Gloria Henry, the
site supervisor, and Vertie Lee, the historic site
interpreter. Tim Slavin, the state historic preservation
officer, and Chris Portante popped over from the
Secretary of State's Office, which runs the historic
sites.

There were also some re-enactors like Peter Goebel,
who was dressed the same as the rifleman in the state
seal and fittingly enough, fired off a musket. The black
powder was real. The charge was a paper cartridge. The
report was impressively loud.

The house itself was outfitted with a mix of original
items and reproductions. The portrait of Dickinson by
Charles Wilson Peale was a copy, but an elegant desk in
its time really did belong to Caesar Rodney.

"That's gorgeous. It would look very good in the
governor's office," Markell quipped.

There was a moment of consternation when nobody could
remember which number governor Dickinson was. (He was
the fifth.) Markell had no trouble recollecting his own
place in the gubernatorial lineup. He is the 73rd.

"As governor, it's important I do what I can to
understand our history, because I'm here for a short
period of time, and it's really in the context of all
the people who have gone before that I am here," Markell
said.

Right. Like inheriting the Transportation Department
from Ruth Ann Minner.

Modernity does intrude in this early American
outpost. This was the vicinity of the C-5 crash in 2006.
Not to mention John Dickinson apparently had the
excellent foresight to put in a decent air conditioning
system.